The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-07-09

Homer Tor ever 50 long, ana most o.
1t centered about the cannon.
OF one thing tho whole village was
dead certain. and thai was that tht
relic Of Burgoyne's army was gone
and could not he found. and every
body but the trustees believed they had
hidden it.
t ''There is a good. deal of feeling
about it against the trustees, SAD
Mrs. Pcttigrew at the Sewing Society;
"but the boys are all wrong. The
trustees have not hidden that cannon
they only passed a vote. They are al
men Of truth and veracity. Besides,
their own barns have been searched
like other peoples. Think Of such q
man as Jedediah Barber hiding a can
non! Think Of it!'
He had not done It, neither had the
other trustees; but before the Fourth
of July came, all the people in that
part of the county were telling each
other: 1.-THE Homer trustees have hid
away their cannon, so the boys can't
make any noise with it on the
Fourth"
There is = great deal Of calumny
and injustice in this world. and when
Deacon Pettigrew said as much to old
Mrs. Waterbury, she replied:
Eyes, Deacon, it's all calomel; but
where could you have put it, SO nobody
could find it? OF course you can'ttell,
though, till after the Fourth. and mean
time you've got to say you don't know.
1t can't be easy to say it the way you
do. but it's your duty rs a trustee"
Then he grew a. red in the face as
Joe Slocum, and acted as if he was try
ing to swallow something.
There never was 50 long a day as
that third day Of July. The sun seemed
to have about made up his mind not to
60 down, but he gave it up at last, and
there was an uncommon multiplicity of
saying: There. now, it IL be dark
pretty soon. Don't I wish it was now?"
There was a greatdeal said about the
cannon by the older inhabitants that
evening, and most of them were glad
that the trustees had succeeded in hid
ing it away from the boys this time,
and that there would be a quieter night
in consequence.
So the hours went by. with some fire
crackers and a bonfire on the green,
till is was about eleven o'clock, and
everybody said that the village was UNI
usually still for such a time. Beyond
Il doubt it vas so, and it was growing
stillcr all of a sudden, In spite of the
fact that there was a sort Of procession
going down the main street and out to-
ward Riggs mill-pond, with a team Of
horses and a log chain. Joe Slocum
and two more were already down at
tho pond. They had a boat, and were
in swimming, late as it was, and
seemed to be graphing on the bottom
for something with a garden rake.
Got it, Joe!'
Have you? Roper Hurry! they're
a-coming. We're all right"
The horses were needed, and so were
the boys, to pull that six-pounder out
Of the m%ill-pond; but the thing was
done, and then the procession formed
again. Nevertheless the village was
wonderfully still until twelve o'clock.
Not II ~fire-cracker went of. for
some reason. In the last five minutes
or so before midnight the bonfire on
the green, which had been permitted
to almost burn out, began to blaze up
furiously with pine-wood shavings,
and all the boys of the village were
around it, and most of them were hard
at work.
Got her sponged?"
'She's all right. Shove in the cart
ridge. Ram her DOWN..
''Shall l prime her now?"
yes. Now, boys, stand off. Keep
away, there, all of your
Bang! And all the older people of
the village Of Homer suddenly sat up
in bed and remarked: Il declare! II
that isn't the cannon! The boys found
it in spite Of the trustees"
Bang! bang!! bang!!! went that az
tillery.
The young cannoneers were working
with a royal good will, and before a
single trustee could dress himself and
get to the green they had used up a
good part Of their ammunition. The
first II to come was Deacon Petit.
grew, and he only took a look, to make
sure it was the cannon may be, and
then went off to gather the others. BY
the time he had reused and consulted
with the board the powder was all
gone. and Joe Slocum shouted:
Now. boys, cut for home. Don't
let 'em find one of us here"
"Hurral! Hurrah for the Fourth OF
July! 1igcr-rr!' shouted some fellow
I